Since the launch of AMD Ryzen, a small piece of hardware that handles basic memory initialization as well as many security functions has been the center of some controversy. Called the Platform Security Processor (the "PSP" for short) it is essentially an arm core with complete access to the entire system. Its actions can be considered "above root" level and are for the most part invisible to the OS. It is similar in this regard to Intel's Management Engine, but is in some ways even more powerful.

Why is this a bad thing? Well, let's play a theoretical. What happens if a bug is discovered in the PSP, and malware takes control of it? How would you remove it (Answer: you couldn't). How would you know you needed to remove it? (answer, unless it made itself obvious, you also wouldn't). This scenario is obviously not a good one, and is a concern for many who asked AMD to open-source the PSPs code for general community auditing.

This motherboard represents ASRock's B350 gaming motherboard and competes against the likes of the MSI TOMAHAWK B350, and the GIGABYTE AB350 Gaming 3. The B350 chipset is an interesting inception, as it allows gamers to create a powerful system at a lower cost when compared to the X370 motherboards. The primary differences between the chipsets are: four fewer USB 3.1 Gen1, 2x SATA3 ports fewer, and no SLI support. With that in mind, if you don't plan on running a home server, or running more than one NVIDIA graphics card, a budget conscious gamer may want to consider a B350 motherboard.

Today we turn to ASUS for a look at what they have to offer by way of the PRIME X299-A. Positioned as a mid-range offering in the X299 arena, this motherboard is laden with a good selection of features and thanks to a design overhaul, a fresh aesthetic is one of its major talking points.

This motherboard is intended for Intel Skylake-X processors that will be released this summer based on Socket LGA2066, however, the motherboard also supports Kaby Lake-X procs in the form of the quad-core Core i7 7740K and Core i5 7640K. We got our grubby little paws on a 10-core Skylake-X processor, as such welcome to this full review (but not thanks to Intel). Intel’s primary processor business has been releasing and refreshing quad-core processors for years now with an E type (e.g. Broadwell-E / Haswell-E) processor release every now and then. They had no rush and have been competitive and relaxed all the way for years now. Intel did anticipate Zen or Ryzen, but the AMD consumer-aimed Threadripper 16-core and Naples server segment 32-core made Intel step up its game a notch. Initially it was expected that Intel would announce a new 10 and maybe 12-core processor based on Skylake-X architecture. With everything that has been going on, there now have been a number of announcements going from top to bottom with an unexpected quad-core Kaby Lake-X release as well as announcements that entails Intel will release 18-core processors. The Skylake-X processors up-to 10 cores are going to be released initially. You will not see any availability for the 18, 16 and 14-core parts anytime sooner than October/November 2017. Skylake-X will release up-to 10-cores only. It is rumored that in August we’ll see the 12-core part - but consider that intel isn't talking with EU press anymore, who really knows right?

The A40 by CRYORIG is the company's entry level offering in their all-in-one hybrid liquid CPU cooler lineup. It lacks the size of the A80 and the radiator thickness of the A40 Ultimate. However, unlike the others, it offers a more affordable price point with all the same features.

Enermax recently released its first SFX line of PSUs. Currently, the family includes 2 members featuring 550W & 650W capacity. Today we're testing the flagship. For quite some time now, Enermax hasn't had its own production line. So, the company relies on other manufacturers to make its PSUs. Close cooperation with Channel Well Technology is a major advantage for Enermax, since CWT has some very good platforms in its portfolio. On top of that, CWT is able to provide large quantities if/when needed compared to other OEMs with restricted manufacturing capability (Super Flower, for example).

Recently, CWT decided to enter the popular SFX form factor market. Its CSN line consists of five members with capacities ranging from 450W to 650W. Enermax only wanted the two highest-capacity models with 550W and 650W for its for its Revolution SFX family, though.The Revolution SFX PSUs are 80 PLUS Gold-certified, fully modular, and, according to Enermax, they only use Japanese electrolytic caps. Most of the time, when companies talk about the origin of their capacitors, they're talking about electrolytics, since those are the ones prone to early failure. Polymer caps are more durable, so their origin isn't as important, although Japanese products are still preferred.

When it comes to headphones there are some people who prefer over-the-ear and there are others that prefer in-ear. In the gaming arena we mostly see over-the-ear designs, but today we have a pair of in-ear headphones designed specifically for gaming. They are the EpicGear Melodiouz which feature 13.5mm mega drivers enhanced by high quality snug-seal sleeves for rich and powerful sound with superior isolation and comfort. The headset even comes with a detachable microphone and carrying case. If you are a fan of in-ear headphones these could be the perfect thing for you if you are a gamer as well. Read on as we take a look.

In the past year I have been having a blast with 3d printing in my free time. This past week I ran into a situation that printing helped me out and I thought I would take a few minutes to tell everyone about it. I was outside installing a new flag mount to our porch and moving our flag and when I went to move the cheap solar light that keeps the flag lit up at night I had trouble reinstalling it into the ground. The peg started making cracking noises and then broke. I didn’t want to have to buy a new light and If I didn’t keep our flag lit at night (I’m far too lazy to bring it in each day) it would be against the US flag code. So I brought a small piece of the broken peg inside to look at my options.

AMD has stressed Intel out so much that they've aged 20 years overnight, and now the pain continues. Intel has announced, very quietly I might add, that the frequency of their new Core i9-7920X processor is just 2.9GHz for base clock, with the Turbo Clock unknown at this point.

In for testing today is the Ozone Strike Pro Spectra keyboard, offering the full range of RGB lighting, a range of Cherry MX mechanical switches and an audio/USB hub; all of which are now deemed as necessary for any gaming keyboard worth its salt.